[Archived] Alexandria Fire Station 201 to Temporarily Reallocate Resources During Bay Floor Replacement; Community Informational Meeting Scheduled for February 1

For Immediate Release: January 14, 2022

The City of Alexandria will temporarily reallocate resources from Fire Station 201 (FS-201), located at 317 Prince St., while the apparatus bay floor is being replaced. The floor of the more than 100-year-old station must be reconstructed to accommodate the weight of modern fire apparatus. High-quality fire and emergency medical response services will be maintained during construction, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of August 2022. All resources are scheduled to return to FS-201 by the end of October 2022. 

In February 2022, FS-201 personnel will be temporarily reallocated to Fire Station 209, located at 2800 Main Line Blvd. This will allow Alexandria Fire Department (AFD) to fully staff the rescue squad for the duration of the bay floor construction project. Engine 201 responds to calls either requesting emergency medical services (EMS) or reporting fire or smoke. AFD’s data analysis indicates that, for 90% of calls, temporarily relocating Engine 201 will not increase response time for EMS calls by more than 69 seconds or response times to fire and smoke calls by more than 62 seconds.

The closest station to Engine 201’s coverage area, Engine 205 (at 1210 Cameron St.) is staffed with a paramedic. To ensure residents and businesses continue to receive high-quality emergency services, AFD will also reallocate an additional paramedic to Truck 205.

The City has worked closely with the construction contractor to develop a management plan that  accounts for the sensitivity of heavy construction in Old Town and controls noise and dust. Work will only be performed during the day and not on Sundays or holidays. The construction project will generally not affect traffic or parking on Prince Street; however, the sidewalk directly in front of the station will be closed. The street may be closed as well, for short periods, during specific construction activities.

The City will hold a virtual community meeting on February 1, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., to provide additional information about the project and answer questions. Register in advance to participate in the community meeting.       

Visit alexandriava.gov/GeneralServices for updates throughout the construction project.

For media inquiries or reasonable disability accommodation, contact Andrea Blackford, Editorial Communications Manager, at andrea.blackford@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3959, Virginia Relay 711.